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Detroit Area Museums
Overview
 World-class museums may not be what come to mind when
planning a trip to Detroit. You may be
surprised to find that Detroit
has a rich history and a cultural fabric unlike that of any other city, and
much of it is preserved in a number of fantastic institutions. From priceless masterpieces and sculptures
at the Detroit Institute of Arts to hands-on exhibits for the kids at the Detroit Science Center, Detroit
has a museum for everyone. Browse the
list below and explore the many informative, interactive, and engaging
museums of metro Detroit.
Note that several of the
museums are located within proximity of one another in the Cultural Center area of Detroit, while the others are dispersed around the City and
suburbs. However, none of them are
more than a short drive away, so take time to visit all of these fine
institutions!
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
315 East Warren, Detroit
Website
 Dr. Charles Wright, a Detroit obstetrician and gynecologist,
established the City's first International Afro-American Musuem in 1965. Three decades and three addresses later, a
new Museum of African American History was opened in the heart of Detroit's Cultural Center.
The 120,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility is considered one
of the largest African American history museums in the world. The buidling house a core exhibition called
And Still We Rise which takes visitors on a journey through 3.5 million years
of courage, deterimination, ingenuity, and spriitual energy of African
Americans as they pursued emancipation and full rights of citizenship. In addition to And Still We Rise, the
museum showcases a number of other interesting limited-run exhibittions.
Cranbrook Art Museum & Institute of Science
 39221 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills
Website
Cranbrook is a internationally acclaimed
center of education, art, and science.
The campus is comprised of a graduate Academy of Art, contemporary
Art Museum, House & Gardens, natural history museum, Institute of Science, and Pre-K
through 12 independent college preparatory schools. The Art Museum houses the work of world-renowned architects
and sculptors and the Insitute of Science features eleven permanent
galleries, a state-of-the-art planetarium and observatory, and an outdoor
science garden with nature trails. The
institution was founded in 1904 by Detroit philanthropists George and Ellen
Booth and was named a National Historic Monument in 1989.
Detroit Historical Museum
5401 Woodward Avenue, Detroit
Website
 Your exploration into Detroit's and southeastern Michigan's rich history begins at the Detroit Historical Museum. The museum
traces the region through over 300 years of history through a number of
creative displays. Of particular
interest is the 8,000 square foot Motor City exhibition focused on automotive heritage and
featuring an actual working auto body drop from the General Motors Clark Avenue facility.
Detroit Institute of Arts
5200 Woodward Avenue, Detroit
Website
The DIA has been a hallmark
of Detroit culture since its founding in 1885. The museum covers over 600,000 square feet
and houses one of the largest and most diverse collections of multicultural
art in the United
States,
including the priceless Vincent van Gogh Self Portrait and the masterpiece
sculpture Nail Figure from Zaire. To top it
off, visitors are treated to Mexican artist Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry
fresco cycle, considered Rivera's most important work in the U.S. Rivera
painted 27 fresco panels, many of them modeled after the Ford Rouge Plant, on the walls
of the large garden court inside the DIA.
Detroit Science Center
5020 John R, Detroit
Website
 In the early 1970s, Detroit banker and philanthropist Dexter Ferry believed Detroit's youth lacked the same learning opportunities
available in other major cities and led efforts to establish a major science
center in the City. Construction on
the original science center began in 1976 and a major renovation and
expansion was completed in 2001.
Today's Detroit Science Center encompasses over 110,000 square feet and offers Michigan's only IMAX Dome Theatre, a state-of-the-art digital
planetarium, and multiple exhibit laboratories and learning
environments. Situated in the heart of
Detroit's Cultural Center,
the Detroit Science Center is the perfect family venue that both educates and
entertains.
Dossin Great Lakes Museum
 100 Strand Drive, Belle Isle, Detroit
Website
Discover Detroit's maritime history at the Dossin Great
Lakes Museum located on Belle Isle
in the Detroit River. The museum
tells the story of boats, sailors and cargoes on America's inland seas. Dossin
visitors can take the helm of a Great Lakes
freighter or admire the carved oak and stained glass of an early passenger
steamer's grand salon or visit one of the three changing exhibit galleries.
Henry Ford Museum
20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn
Website
 The Henry Ford Museum, along with the other attractions on the campus of
The Henry Ford, provides an unparalleled chronicle of American life and of the
people and ideas that changed lives through innovation. The museum houses an array of exhibits
showcasing the results of American genius at work. In addition to one of the finest automotive
history collections in the country,
exhibits include the world's most accurate replica of the Wright
brothers' Flyer, the only remaining prototype of the Dymaxion
house, and John F. Kennedy's fateful Dallas limousine.
Time permitting, visit Greenfield Village, the Benson Ford Library, IMAX theater, and the
Automotive Hall of Fame (all are located adjacent to the museum). See the Experience Detroit Automotive Heritage Tours
page for more information.
Holocaust Memorial Center
28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills
Website
 Ground was broken on the original Holocaust Memorial Center in 1981 on the campus of the Jewish Community Campus
in the northwest suburbs of Detroit. The
institution was the first of its kind in the United States and drew visitors from all over the world. With the opening of the new Holocaust Memorial Center in 2004, the institution now houses two core
exhibitions -- the Museum of European Jewish Heritage and the International Institute of the Righteous. Your experience starts before you even
enter the facility with exterior architecture designed to resemble the walls
of a concentration camp. Do not miss
this awe-inspiring experience.
Motown Historical Museum
2648 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit
Website
 In 1959, upstart Detroit songwriter and record
producer Berry Gordy Jr. purchased a humble two
story home, moving his family into one half and setting up a studio in the
other. He christened it "Hitsville U.S.A." and from this building grew Motown from a
startup business to what became by the mid-70s the largest independent record
company in the world. The Motown Historical Museum includes models of eight houses on West Grand Boulevard acquired by the company to house its growing
operations until it moved its offices to a high-rise in downtown Detroit in 1968.
Among the many displays, visitors are treated to a tour of the studio
where Motown greats such as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Marvin
Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and the
Miracles, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Diana
Ross and the Supremes, and the Jackson Five actually recorded their hits.
More Information
Click on the links below for
related information and additional Experience Detroit tours.
African American Heritage
Art
& Culture Main Page
Cultural
Center
Music
Heritage
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